gosh this place is lovely!..u missing it yet?..farebox doesnt work, radio and overheads screwed up, the guy i got thje bus from tjrew all pieces of transfers under the seat..wipers making all kinds of noise...welcome to monday, ...enjoy ur day!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

I can never tell what's going on with the Oregonian and me, I get banned there from time to time and apparently I am banned again. Not really important to me that they take my comments or not but I do want to respond to a comment made By Michael Anderson about the retirement being possible at 55 years old with 10 years in.

I was told that you could only receive benefits after 10 years in at 58 years of age but according to Anderson I am incorrect and he offers THIS EVIDENCE. (pg 132)

Canceled Muni Bus Runs Draw New Attention to Bay Area Drivers’ Absenteeism - NYTimes.comBut Mr. Austin, of the Muni operators union, said hiring drivers would not be as easy as it once was. He said Muni drivers bore the brunt of the blame for Muni’s slow and often late service.“People aren’t clamoring to work here anymore,” Mr. Austin said. “With adversaries in City Hall, adversaries in the public, it rapidly becomes a job that’s just not worth it.”(this is the main reason I am getting out now)

The Union recently learned that TriMet may not have paid employees the reward payment for
testing negative for reasonable suspicion (probable cause) and post accident alcohol and drug
tests. Pursuant to the January 17, 1995 Alcohol and Drug Testing Policy Reward Payment Agreement,
any employee who tests negative for a reasonable suspicion and/or post accident drug test is
eligible to receive $100 or run/days work pay, whichever is greater. If you tested negative
for these tests and were not paid the reward, contact your Union Representative. You will need
to establish that you were tested, tested negative and did not receive the reward payment.
This only applies to reasonable suspicion (probable cause) and post accident tests. It does
not apply to random alcohol and drug tests.

The reporting of the SIP ULP outcome at this late date (April 26) is striking in it's lack of transparency.This
particular ULP decision is several months old..reporting on it now is
disingenuous..it demonstrates clear disregard for truth and
accountability by TriMet management.TriMet
staff used to sit in the Board audience with members of the public. It
appears the "rules" have indeed changed. TriMet staff all line up and
sit behind Neil--looks defensive and desperate..sad.Take care.

At the last board meeting Mcfarlane talked about a decision that was handed down in Trimet's favor.
(video HERE)
That order was issued MORE THAN A YEAR AGO.( Read the order here.)Yet he brings it up now?
I posted about this the day it was issued MARCH 30,2011

The most important aspect of this decision was that it was lost on a TECHNICALITY, not because of the argument that Mcfarlane presented to the board:

Most bloggers are fully aware of the complete failure of the mainstream media in covering the news that people really need to hear.
After all that's why most bloggers blog, to provide an alternative source of information that is not provided elsewhere.

Nothing illustrates this failure in regards to local transportation news more than the little dog that was riding around on the MAX train.

Every single news source in the Portland area, and more than a handful from out of the area covered that story.

But was there any coverage of Occupy Portland's action at the Trimet board meeting? NOPE!

Was there any coverage of OPAL's excellent presentation to the board of directors regarding the Trimet budget? NOPE.

The news is what the media decides is news, the rest you don't get to know.

Bus Operator of the Year: Jacklyn Oswald
Jacklyn Oswald, of Northwest Portland, is a Master Operator and has 11
years of Safe Driver Awards. She’s been with TriMet since 1989 and
prefers working evening shifts so she can spend days with her children.

MAX Operator of the Year: Andrew Hicks
Andrew Hicks, of Northeast Portland, has been at TriMet since 2006, and
operating MAX trains since 2008. He is a Senior Operator, has earned
five Safe Driver Awards as well as six Superior Performance Awards.

Part-time Bus Operator of the Year: Hallie Fowlkes
Hallie Fowlkes, of Portland, will celebrate her fifth year at TriMet
this September. She drives buses on lines 8, 12, 44, 70, 85 and 94.
Fowlkes has achieved three Safe Driver Awards and has three years of
perfect attendance.

No candidates will be allowed to speak about their campaign at the Retirees Chapter meeting until after nominations on May 20th.
Once you are an official nominee, you may meet with the ATU Retiree Chapter Executive Board to seek that body's endorsement for the position. The Executive Board meets on May 30th at 10:00 a.m. Please contact the Retirees' Financial Secretary, Virginia Carlyle at and request to be placed on the Executive Board's agenda.
Once you have become an official nominee, you may also speak about your campaign at the ATU Retiree Chapter meeting which will be on June 6, 2012. To do so, you must contact the Retirees' Financial Secretary, Virginia Carlyle at and request to be placed on the agenda for the Chapter meeting.
Please remember that Retiree members are only allowed to vote on the three top Union positions of President, Vice President and Financial Secretary. Therefore, only candidates for those three positions will be allowed to speak.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation in this matter.
Bill Wimmer
President
ATU Retiree Chapter

Hector's testimony: "People of Color are disproportionately transit-dependent, and disproportionately bus riders. It also means that POC are more likely to be two-zone single-fare riders, which is the group that will experience the largest fare increase under TriMet’s proposal. It also means that as bus service continues to be cut, POC are impacted the most because they will experience more missed connections due to a greater transfer rate.

I visited the SMART terminus at the Wilsonville end of WES today and saw posters forthrightly stating that only registered service dogs were allowed on SMART buses; companion animals offering psychological support are not compliant with American with Disabilities Act standards and are forbidden.

Is there a line item in TriMet's budget to enforce stated policy that pets aboard must be in cages? On the 77 out by Edgefield yesterday a couple of old drunks got on with some sort of big mongrel Doberman cross--I felt sorry for the dog!

I have seen dogs with their dirty behinds plastered on seats where people are supposed to sit, and smelled others wafting various stinks and allergies. Further malign influences are easily imagined.

Operators give the impression that they do not like such boarders, but TriMet refuses to back them up. I spoke with TriMet about it a while back, but they intended to do nothing.

Maybe they should just charge the critters a separate fare; that would make it a budget item.

There are some elements of the proposed budget that move TriMet in
the right direction. I support the proposals to eliminate the free-rail
zone and reduce streetcar funding. Rail passengers have been coddled for
far too long and these changes will require them to finally put some
skin in the game.
Notwithstanding this progress, the budget overall has serious
problems that the Board needs to address. The first is the assumption
that management will win its protracted dispute with the ATU. Management
has been forecasting this outcome for years, and has consistently been
wrong. Examples of past predictions include the following:

TriMet press release, April 13, 2011: “The FY2012 budget assumes
that a new Working and Wage Agreement with the ATU has benefits more in
line with peer agencies, and consistent with those contained in
TriMet’s July 2010 Final Offer.”

TriMet FY 2012 budget message, July 2011: “A critically important assumption upon
which TriMet’s financial forecast and the FY 12 Adopted Budget are
based is that TriMet enters into a Working and Wage Agreement WWA) with
the Amalgamated Transit Union, probably through the binding arbitration
process, and that the wages and benefits are consistent with those
contained in TriMet’s July 2010 Final Offer….”Read the rest of the article HERE!

I need to ask 1743 of you to do something fairly simple and very important over the next few months. Look in your mail at home for an envelope from TriMet. We’ve hired an outside company called Mercer to conduct a “dependent eligibility audit”—which means documenting that everybody who gets health insurance through TriMet is eligible to do so. In the envelope you’ll find a letter from me, a list of dependent eligibility requirements, and a short form that lists who’s on your medical/dental plan. It’s simple – if you have someone on your health insurance plan that shouldn’t be there – take them off.

In a small number of cases, we expect that employees may read the list of requirements and realize someone is listed on their plan who shouldn’t be. During this “amnesty phase”—which lasts through May 18—anyone in that situation can just check the “NOT ELIGIBLE” box to remove the person, return the form to Mercer and there will be no penalty.

BRU
members are busy preparing testimony for tomorrow's TriMet Board
Meeting. A lot of people have given feedback on TriMet's proposed
budget, but no one has yet put forth a concrete alternative. Our
proposal has all the benefits of TriMet's proposal AND we protect riders
and increase ridership. Join us tomorrow 9am-11am at TriMet's Board of
Directors meeting in the City of Portland building.

It has been a record number for one year. I am referring to the number of local newspaper articles and editorials published about TriMet, its financial problems and its contract dispute with the Union representing TriMet employees. While most of these articles and editorials were slanted in favor of TriMet, the main theme in all of them is that TriMet’s problems were caused by everyone else, except by inept senior management. And the latest editorial in The Oregonian, which was published in the April 20, 2012 edition, is no exception.

By now, I’m sure you have gotten the proposed compromise in the mail. And I must say, this has been one of the most interesting so-called negotiations and labor disputes, which I have been a part of. One of the things that bother me the most is: WHEN DID WE START FIGHTING BACK?????????? So far I have seen no ultimatums from the union on the issues of labor. “We” work hard to make the system go, and “our” pockets grow, and “our” futures are influx due to Trimet cutting away “our” benefits, while this union lies down and does nothing. Filing lawsuit after lawsuit, is only a stop-gap in a labor dispute, it may or may not come out in “our” favor. The question still remains, “WHEN DID WE ACTUALLY START FIGHTING BACK???????? As I have observed, using the same argument when disproven in front of the Board does nothing but wastes time (although that should be done at every opportunity), and these informationals are a waste time, due to the fact that almost no one is interested in hearing the same argument over and over again, they become disinterested in “our” plight, just look at the last turn out, not many of “us” were there in support of “our” cause, why, “we” don’t see it as going anywhere. For the past eight plus months, I have (and others) have stated that “we” need to go into a different direction, due to this useless tack, “is not” working to change the argument in “our” favor. That is sad.

We can see in this streetcar budget proposal the type of misinformation and intentional misleading of public opinion:

Contribution to the Streetcar is $9.3M, prior contribution was $6M.
Initial planned contribution was $9.6M, the $300k difference has been
portrayed by TriMet as a cut. OPAL seems to regard the Streetcar (and
TriMet's contribution thereto) as a luxury item and a waste of money,
and appears to skeptical of TriMet getting too much involved in getting
into the land-use business, and appears to be opposed to some (if not
all) of this subsidy. The increase is due to the upcoming opening of
the Eastside Streetcar. TriMet's position is that its funding of the
Streetcar is essentially the same amount of money that it would take to
provide equivalent bus service on the route.

The Smithfield Democrat says Odimgbe has failed to handle the transit
agency's budget problems. Tassoni says RIPTA should have eliminated
higher paid middle- and upper-management positions before considering
service cuts or the elimination of maintenance workers.

Anyone receive TRIMET Dependent Audit. DO SIGN WITHOUT READING. Here is letter I sent the union.

I have serious concerns on this latest TRIMET letter stating
PARTICIPATION REQUIRED. The form they want me to sign is a NOT ELIGIBLE
form. There is not place to state my dependents are eligible, they
want us to sign a blank form that TRIMET that states By signing this
form, I state that the above dependents for whom I have indicated
removal do not meet Trimet Employee Benifits Plan dependent eligibility
plan.

I am NOT signing a blank check for TRIMET to remove my dependents.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO FIRST INFORM OUR MEMBERS NOT TO SIGN THIS FORM
AND SECOND TO TELL TRIMET TO TRY AGAIN WITH A FORM THAT STATES ELIGIBLE
BOX AND NOT ELIGIBLE BOX...NOT JUST A NOT ELIGIBLE BOX!

And why are we having to reverify who our dependents are, isn't that done during Open Enrollment?

The starter at Broadmore Golf course paired me with a dude named Joey.After a few holes, he asked what I did for a living.On the long par 5 at number 4, he told me his brother started as a mini runner 5 years ago and went full time about a year after wards.He lasted only 1 year.After being relegated to long splits and a steady diet of 4's and 6's, he literally walked off a route one day in the middle of the paddle.A supervisor met him in route to no avail.His brother was miserable for that year he was full time and is happily employed elsewhere.Ha!

Stedman was hired to be a union buster. Other people applied for Stedman's position who have a history of working well with union employees. They didn't get the job, instead, TriMet's "management team" gave the job to Stedman. Probably because he brags on his resume that he was able to get a pro-union election overturned in the State of Washington. (See his resume, pages two and three.)

Mt. Hood Community College hired Stedman and found itself on the brink of a strike. Only after Stedman left the college did labor relations return to normal and a strike was averted.

Stedman played absolutely no role in bargaining for the TriMet contract so he hasn't a clue what happened or what has been proposed. Who is he really the mouthpiece for?

The Union has asked TriMet to clarify, in writing, its confusing unprofessional proposal language regarding pensions on numerous occasions and TriMet failed and refused to do so. Now Stedman has produced his letter. Since he has no role in the TriMet bargaining, is TriMet bound by his statements about the pension proposals? We're still waiting to hear from the authorized TriMet negotiators.

The figures on the Union's health insurance table were TriMet's own figures. For example, we used the numbers in TriMet's mailing to the employees for employee cost and the total premium charged the Union for health insurance as the total premium number since we have not been able to get consistently clear figures from TriMet. It appears Stedman is confused and must have rolled dental dental and other benefits into his figures - the parties bargained ONLY about health insurance premiums - not the other benefits. (See TriMet's mailing to employees and TriMet's billing to the Union.

As stated in the document, the current pension plan is $75+ per month for each year of service. TriMet's proposal is that all new hires will be put in a new 401(k) stock market-based plan probably of TriMet's choosing.

Stedman apparently failed to read the case the Union won since the $1000 was already in an offer made by the Union and that offer is in the evidence that went before ERB.

Bottom line: TriMet generates a confusing, unprofessional proposal, will not provide clear, accurate information, refuses to provide written clarification and then has its hired union-buster use company resources to complain. TriMet management's professionalism is at a new low...

Except...the nearest WES station is 1.5 miles away (in Tualatin, two miles to Tigard TC)...WES won't get you to any of the other games (Forest Grove, Hillsboro, Century High School in Beaverton, Newberg, McMinnville, or Grant High School in Portland, or Hayward Field in Eugene), or serve a number of these events occurring on a Saturday.

It's bad enough that TriMet doesn't even have a bus that serves Tigard High School (unless you count a bus stop 1/3rd of a mile away - which if applied equally to Neil McFarlane, would require him to use a bus stop on S.E. Powell or S.E. McLoughlin Boulevard and then walk to Center Street.)

Scores of bus drivers have abandoned their vehicles in Belfast city
centre for around an hour in a bid to get a suspended colleague
reinstated.
Union leaders hailed the action on Friday a success
after receiving assurances that the Metro service driver had been
allowed back to work. They also apologised for the inconvenience to
passengers stranded during the late-morning protest. Bus operators
Translink said the action was unofficial and unnecessary.
It is
understood the driver was suspended over an incident involving the
handle of the bus's manual ramp for disabled passengers. The driver's
union said their member had been disciplined after allegedly breaking
off the handle.